Hajja Rukiye Sultan: Laylatul Qadr and the Story of Hazrat Fatimaر

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

According to calculations, Laylatul Qadr will be this Sunday night. There is a prayer of four rak‘ats after Tarawih and after the Witr wajib, which you can pray individually, not in jama‘ah.

Make niyyah for four rak‘ats of Salat Laylatul Qadr. In each rak‘ah, recite:

• Al-Fatiha once
• Surah At-Takathur (Quran 102) once
• Surah Al-Ikhlas three times

After completing the prayer and giving salam, recite:

• Astaghfirullah 100 times
• Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammadin wa sallim 100 times

Then make du‘a for whatever you wish. This is the special prayer for that holy night.

Actually, the exact night of Qadr is unknown. Most people celebrate it on the 27th night, but it can also be on the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th night. Laylatul Qadr can come at any time, so we must prepare ourselves every night to be ready for it.

Laylatul Qadr is hidden. Allah ﷻ says in the Quran Al-Kareem that it was sent down from the Lawh al-Mahfouz to the first heaven, Bayt al-‘Izzah, and it was kept there.

Slowly, Jibril (AS) brought the verses of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ every time there was an event. When Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recited the Quran, the Sahabah Kiram listened carefully. Some memorized it, and others wrote it down.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would instruct the Sahabah: “Place this ayah here, and that ayah there.” He ﷺ would have them recite it again and again.

He ﷺ always checked the Quran in the hands of the Sahabah, ensuring the correct order of surahs and ayahs.

Every year, Jibril (AS) came to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to review the Quran. The year Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passed away, Jibril (AS) checked it twice.

There is a famous story of Hazrat Fatimaر. In the last days of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, she visited him ﷺ. He ﷺ whispered something in her ear, and she began to cry. Then he ﷺ whispered something else, and she smiled.

In his last days, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was in Hazrat Aishaر’s room.

She asked Hazrat Fatimaر: “What did he ﷺ tell you? Why did you first cry and then smile?”

Hazrat Fatimaر replied: “It is a secret. I cannot tell you.” Then she left.

Later, Hazrat Aishaر asked again: “Why did you first cry and then laugh?”

Hazrat Fatimaر explained: “First, he ﷺ told me: ‘Every year, Jibril (AS) reviews the Quran with me. This year, he checked it twice. That means I am leaving this world and returning to Allah ﷻ.’ That is why I was crying.

Then he ﷺ told me: ‘You will be the first of my family to come after me, to join me.’ That is why I smiled. I was very happy.”

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal and passed away on the same day, also a Monday. Hazrat Fatimaر passed away six months later in Ramadan, on her anniversary of passing away. So after Rabi’ al-Awwal, Rabi’ al-Akhir, Jumada al-Awwal, Jumada al-Akhir, Rajab, Shaban, and then in Ramadan, she was reunited with her Beloved father ﷺ again.

• Hajja Rukiye Sultan

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